Youth Services Commission

Youth Services Commission

DIRECTOR:

 

Jason Martinez, MPA
Administrator, Youth Services Commission
973-530-9580

 

The Essex County Youth Services Commission (ECYSC) is dedicated to supporting court-involved youth and at-risk juveniles through strategic planning, advocacy, and community partnerships. While ECYSC does not directly provide services, ECYSC competitively contracts with community-based organizations and government agencies that deliver essential programs and services. These programs aim to prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system and support youth involved with the Family Court System in Essex County.

 

Funding Sources

 

  • State Community Partnership Grant Program (SCP)
  • Family Court Services Grant (FC) Program
  • Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities (RTJ)
  • Juvenile Justice Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI)

 

Grants are funded by the New Jersey Youth Justice Commission (YJC), part of the Department of Law and Public Safety. ECYSC administers these funds on behalf of the County of Essex.

Focus Areas and Program Goals

Delinquency Prevention

  • Aim: Prevent youth from engaging in anti-social or delinquent behavior.
  • Strategy: Implement early intervention programs that target risk factors before behaviors escalate.

Diversion

  • Aim: Redirect youth displaying early signs of delinquency away from formal court processing.
  • Strategy: Offer services and informal sanctions that address needs and reduce risk of reoffending.

Dispositional Options

  • Aim: Provide structured, intensive alternatives to traditional court dispositions.
  • Strategy: Address root causes of delinquency through options such as:
    • Intensive supervision
    • Day/evening reporting centers
    • Structured residential programs

Detention Alternatives

  • Aim: Reduce reliance on secure detention for youth awaiting adjudication.
  • Strategy: Offer supervised alternatives that support public safety while minimizing detention overcrowding.

Restorative Justice

  • Aim: Repair harm through inclusive, community-based dialogue.
  • Strategy: Bring together victims, community members, and youth to:
    • Acknowledge harm
    • Explore accountability
    • Promote healing and stronger community ties

Transformative Justice

  • Aim: Address root causes of harm within individuals, communities, and broader systems.
  • Strategy: Develop long-term, systemic alternatives that:
    • Prevent violence
    • Transform the conditions that enable harm
    • Center equity and community empowerment